Display case



June 7, 1960 F. s. HOLDERLE ETAL 2,939,945

DISPLAY CASE Filed May 13, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 M i m INV EN TOR. FREDERICK s HOLDERLE EY a R. HOLDERLE' H m EWI-IOLDERLE HARI/ AND NORBE V THEIR ATTORNEY June 7, 1960 F. s. HOLDERLE ETAL 2,939,946

DISPLAY CASE Filed may 13, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS.

FREDERICK 5. HOLDERLE HARVEY CR HOLDERL 4N0 NORBE RT E M. HOLDE RLE THEIR A TTORIVE) I June 7, 1960 F. s. HOLDERLE ETAL 2,939,946

DISPLAY CASE Filed May 13, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS. FREDERICK 5. HOLDERLE, HARVEY G. R. HOLDERLE ,fND NORBERTE H. HOLDERLE THE IR ATTORNEY DISPLAY CASE Frederick S. Holderle Harvey C. R. Holder-1e, and Norbert F. w. Holderl e, all of 339 Exchange St., Rochester 8, N.Y.

Filed May 13, 1957, Ser. No. 658,855

1 Claim. (Cl. 240-6) This invention relates to a lighting canopy for display cases and has for its purpose to afford a structurefor use in conjunction with cake, candy, pastry, and similar display cases adapted to be built up from separate sections and to provide a practical and efficient structure for supporting a lighting canopy above the display case,

A more particular objective of the invention is to provide means whereby such a canopy can be produced and shipped separately from the display case, and facilitating its being quickly arranged thereon and held securely in operative position on the case.

Another object is to afford supporting means consisting of detachable bars or tubes, is securely and rigidly anchored in the base of the display case, with an arrangement that permits positioning the canopy by lowering it on to the supporting means, upon which the canopy rests by its own weight.

a structure in which the States @rtent v C ice tions would 'be suitably fastened to the rear portions 4 of the display case. As many such sections as desired may be added, affording a complete U-shaped case with longer or shorter legs on either side as desired, and with an aisle between corresponding in width generally to the length of the counter space 7.

It is desirable with any such arrangement to provide a lighting canopy which can be readily attached to the display case, and to accomplish this there are provided four tubular metal bars which are rigidly secured in the base of the display case and extend thereabove to support a lighting canopy on their upper ends.

To accomplish this, four tubular metal bars 8 are mounted, as shown in Fig. 5, each of the tubular bars being similarly constructed and secured in place so that a detailed description of one will suffice. The base 2 of the display case is recessed to receive the 'bottom of a nipple 9 which is threaded both interiorly and exteriorly, while 10 is a threaded fastening sleeve that extends through an opening in the base 2 and engages the interiorly threaded surface of the nipple 9. The nipple 9 is securely locked Still another purpose of the invention is to provide a structure that can be economically manufactured, which does not interfere with the normal functioning of the display case, and which affords a pleasing and attractive appearance when in operation.

' To this and other ends the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the novel features being pointed out in the claim following the specification.

In the drawings: Fig; 1 is-a view in front elevation, showing a preferred embodiment of the invention as adapted to one form of display case;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on line 44 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated;

Fig. 5 is avertical sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction indicated;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the canopy, and

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction indicated.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views, the display case illustrated includes in general a bottom support -1 and a base 2 upon which is suitably mounted top and side transparent panels affording in general a front portion 3 and rearwardly extending side portions 4 'between which are arranged the sliding doors 5 and hinged doors 6, thus atfording a generally U-shaped display case at the rear of which is a shelf or work counter 7 between the doors 6 and behind doors 5.

Such a U-shaped display case can be employed without additional sections, or additional sections can be added to extend behind the rear portions 4, and having the same width as the rear portions 4. Such additional secto the base by the sleeve 10 which extends through an opening in the base 2 and is held by a nut 11 threaded on the sleeve 10 and engaging the bottom of the base 2.

12 designates an interiorly threaded sleeve that is threaded on the exteriorly threaded surface of the nipple 9, and is surrounded by a retaining tube 13 that may be welded or otherwise secured to the outer surface of the sleeve 12 or formed integral therewith, and affords a socket or receptacle for the bottom of the tubular bar 8. The tube 13 extends above sleeve 12, and receives the lower end of the bar 8 which rests upon the sleeve 12. 14 designates an electrical conductor extending from a power supply line through the fastening sleeve 10, nipple 9, sleeve 12, and thence upwardly through the tubular bar 8 to the lighting canopy and to the lighting elements therein as will now -be described in more detail. 7

Each tube 13 is rigidly secured within a surrounding metal housing 15 by means ofa metallic bracket or fastening plate 16, see Fig. 4, that is fastened to the housing 15 and to the base of the display case and is welded or otherwise securely attached to the surrounding tube 13 in order to anchor the latter in position so as to provide means for holding the tubular supporting bar for the canopy securely in position.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, the canopy includes a generally rectangular top frame 17 formed of side and end angle irons welded or otherwise fixedly secured together, while 18 designates lateral angle irons welded or otherwise rigidly attached to the side angle irons, and 19 designates lateral angle irons welded or otherwise rigidly attached to the angle irons 18.

The lateral angle irons 19 have welded or otherwise rigidly secured thereto the sleeves or socket members 21 which engage and rest upon the upper ends of the tubular bars 8 and thus support the canopy on the upper ends of the tubular bars 8. 22 designates a generally rectangular metal bottom frame of the canopy that is attached to the top frame by metal corner portions 23, welded or otherwise secured to the top and bottom frames, while 24 designates a corrugated translucent bottom wall supported on the bottom frame 22 and having openings through which the tubular bars 8 extend.

The top frame 17 is provided at its edges with a surrounding coping 25 suitably attached thereto and provided with spring elements 26 on its inner surfaces to receive translucent panels 27 that extend downwardly in an inwardly inclined direction toward the bottom frame, in which they are supported in pockets provided between the outer flanges 28 and inner clips 29 of the bottom tubes'29, each of which issupportedon a control box 31 mounted upon metal clips 32" that are welded or otherwise suitably attached to angle irons 18 or 33, which are welded'or otherwise attached to the lateral angle irons -18 or otherwise rigidly supported on a portion of the top frame. 7

The electrical conductor 14 previously referred to ex- 7 tends upwardly through one of the tubular bars 8 and thence to one of the tubular lamp control boxes 31, from which the electrical conductors 34 carry the required current successively to the four lighting tubes 29 through the respective control 'boxes 31.

In this manner there is afforded an extremely attractive and pleasing lighting canopy thatcan be shipped separately from the display case and tubular supporting bars, and quickly assembled by first placing the supporting bars in the retaining tubes and positioning the canopy with its four sockets 21 alined above the display bars 8, then permitting the canopy to move downwardly onto the several tubular 'bars- 8 upon which the canopy rests securely.

Where the display case consists of additional sections on the lower ends of said sleeves and engaging the bottom of the base, interiorly threaded sleeves engaging the exteriorly threaded surfaces of said nipples and extending thereabove, retaining tubes permanently attached around and extending above saidlast mentioned sleeves, a series of separate spaced tubular supporting bars having their lower ends extending within and closely engaging said retaining tubes and resting on said last mentioned sleeves, and a canopy including a rectangular top frame formed of side and end metal angle irons rigidly secured together, lateral metal angle irons rigidly secured to said side angle irons, lateral metal angle irons rigidly secured to the first mentioned lateral angle irons and located therebeneath, downwardly extending metal tubular socket members rigidly secured at their upper ends to the last mentioned lateral angle irons and engaging the upper ends of said tubular supporting bars, a rectangular metal bottom frame spaced 'below and attached to said top frame to provide a U-shaped case with longer legs or side portions, the tubular bars 8 can be differently positioned and arranged on the base of the case, and the sockets or receiving tubes 21 of the canopy correspondingly posi 'tioned in a larger canopy for cooperation with the tubular bars of the base, but the construction and cooperation between the tubular bars and the canopy sockets is the same as set forth above. 7 7 While the invention has been described with reference to the particular construction herein shown, it is not restricted to the details disclosed, and this application is'intende'd to cover such modifications or departures as may come within the purposes of the improvement or the scope of the following claim.

We claim: 7 A display case including a base having openings therein and a recess surrounding each of said openings, a series of exteriorly and interiorly threaded nipples. seated in 'said recesses of the base, exteriorly threaded sleeves extending through said openings and engaging the interiorly threaded surfaces of said nipples, fastening nuts threaded by metal corner portions rigidly secured to the top and bottom frames, a translucent bottom wall supported on said bottom frame and having openings through which the tubular'supporting bars extend, and translucent side and end panels supported between said top and bottom metal frames and inclined downwardly and inwardly from the top to thebottom frames;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 282,794 Starling -Aug. 7, 1883 832,625 Ryan Oct. 9, 1906 1,232,195 Brager July 3, 1917 1,286,984 Freeman Dec. 10, 1918 1,326,755 Lowe et al. Dec. 30, 1919 1,448,949 Travers Mar. 20, 1923 1,464,904 Feldman Aug. 14, 1923 1,696,137 Oboyle Dec. 25, 1928 7 1,975,001 Brown Sept. 25,1934 2,014,054 Rood et al. Sept. 10, 1935 2,162,791 Shreve June 20, 1939 2,174,983 Kennedy Oct. 3, 1939 2,362,095 Rissinger Nov. 7, 1944 2,584,548 Calissi Feb. 5, 1952 2,625,646 Goebel Jan. 13, 1953 2,846,284 Fitzgerald Aug. 5, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 930,023 Germany July 7, 1955 

